Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-27
"COOLIE WAR;
Essinore Citizens Make 1t Very
Tame Affair.
ELsINoRE, May "a, 1887

ELotNOhbI 4'NNJ -
EpIroRs HERALD:--Under the head Of
"Coolie War in Elsinore" appears ar
article in yesterdays Tribune, purport'
ing to be "Tribune's special service,
which SO grossly misrepresents the facts
in the case as to demand a correction on
the part of the citizens of Elsinore. The
circumstances are substantially as fol-
lows:
One X. Mcleod, late of Canada, ar
rived in Esinore a few weeks since and
commenced operations as a contractor,
and some three weeks since he COM
menced the manufacture of brick on a
small scale. He employed small force
of men and boys at such wages as he
chose to offer, and no complaint was
heard from the men as to wages. Last
week he announced that he would bring
in gang Of Chipamen, and discharged
the whites on the ground that the bricks
were costing him more than he could
afford to pay. A number of citizens
went 10 him and protested against such
q course, saying that the people had al.
ways opposed Chinese, and none had
ever been allowed to stop in Elsinore,
and that it would bring on trouble. He
swore he would bring Cinnamon and
work them, if he had to use revolvers to
do it, and those who molested them
would shave to walk over his dead
body" etc,
In the mean time two boys in his en-
ploy asked him to increase their wages
from IS to &c. This was the only thing
that had the sigetest resemblance to
strike, and no one thought of calling 1t
such. The same boys were not known
in the proceedings of Saturday night
ard Sunday. On Saturday morning two
of the men were on their way to their
work, when Mcleod met and discharged
them. They were both known as faith.
full, honest men, and one of them was
about seventy years OF age and much
respected as quite peaceable citizen.
A meeting of citizens was held on Sat
urday night to take council, and Nc.
Leod was sent for. He was received in
the most friendly and courteous manner
and told that they were willing to do
anything in their power to aid him in
procuring suitable men at reasonable
wages, if by 80 doing they could avert
the Chinese evil. The best proposition
he would offer was that "if the citizens
would furnish him certain number OF
men at such wages as he was willing to
pay, and the men would turn out
specified number of bricks each day, he
would send the Cinnamon away" but
he added that he knew that they could
not comply with his demand. The citi.
zens proposed to make an effort to that
effect provided that he would agree TO
keep the Chinamen away until COM
mitree could go to Los Angeles and look
for the men. This he refused to do,
and said the Chinamen would be here
on Monday morning, without fail, and
then he INDUCED in an insulting and
unprovoked onslaught on the working
people of Elsinore 10 general. A pledge
was signed by fifty-one persons to not
patronize McLeod's business; also, a
Committee was appointed to meet the
Chinese on the train Monday morning,
before they arrive in Elsinore, and in.
form them of the opposition to their
coming, and, if possible, turn them
back. The meeting then adjourned.
The only sentiment expressed at the
meeting in regard to the Chinese was
thut they were not to blame, and must
not be injured in person or property, but
that they were an evil that must be ex-
cluded from Elsinore.
On Sunday morning the people were
astonished to find the Chinese already
in town. Mcleod having met them at
the early train with wagon, and con.
veyed them through town to his brick.
yard, thus showing that he had deceived
the people as to the time of their COM
ing. A Committee of one waited on
the Chiuamen. and told them of the op
position to their presence, and asked
them if they were willing to leave
peaceably. The foreman, who could
speak very good English, re
piled that they had not been
told of any hostility to them
in Eisinore, and that they would leave
at once, as they did not wish to remain
where the people 'no likee Chinaman,"
but he said they had no money to pay
their fares. The committee reported
back, and at once the required amount
was made up (about $36) to pay their
fares back to San Diego. A large party
Vi Ulcu ILcu SldItCNi III IuC utiC CCtiOh VI
the brckyard, but were met by Mcleod,
who swore that there wogld be blood.
shed if they advanced. They appointed
a committee of two to wait upon the
Chinese, who advanced to the yard, not
withstanding Mcleod continued to
curse and denounce them and threaten
to kill the first man who put foot ON his
ground. Up to this time ths crowd was
wholly unarmed, and continued so with
the exception of two men, who, upon
beiug personally threatened, went to u
house near by and procured guns, but
made no demonstration with them, fur
ther than to warn Mcleod that he had
better not fire on them. He then
threatened to shoot the horses that were
drawing the wagon intended to convey
the Cinnamon to the depot. On being
told that the Cinnamon wished to 60,
and that they were free agents and had
a right to leave if they wished, he said
that they were not; that he had
hired them from the man who
owned them, and that they should
go to work. The men did not go
on McLeod's ground, but the Cinnamon
carried their own bundles to the wagon
and put them in, and got in and were
driven to the depot. They were treated
so we'll that they laughed all the way,
and at the depot they asked for money
to buy bread at the restaurant, which
was given them by the men who had
them in charge. Their tickets were
purchased and they left in the best of
humor, except that they denounced the
man who had deceived them to get them
to Elsinore.
Now, in conclusion, we say nearly
every statement in the Tribune's article
yesterday was false. There has never
been a strike in Elsinore. The broklay-
ers had nothing whatever to do with
sending the Cinnamon away. The
crowd was not armed with guns, pistols,
knives or any other weapons. No one
threatened to hang, shoot or in any
other manner injure Chinaman. No
one threatened violence. except Mcleod